Values
by unspokenmemories
Summary: Draco is on a long quest to redefine the Malfoy name. When he finds himself working under Hermione in a campaign to give house elves rights, he learns about himself in ways he never would've expected with someone who would become more than just a mentor.
1. Chapter 1

"Don't be ungrateful, Draco," Lucius Malfoy insisted, rubbing his eyes in fatigue, "I went through a great deal of trouble to land you this internship and you _will_ take advantage of it."

Draco looked at the briefcase that his mother was dusting off with a strong sense of distaste. A _briefcase_? _Really?_ "But under a _Weasley_? You really couldn't have done _any_ better than that?"

"I don't particularly enjoy this situation either," his father sniffed, "But Ms. Weasley has a high ranking position in the Improper Use of Magic Office. It's an excellent place to start your career, Draco. And lucky for you, Ms. Weasley's supervisor is a rather, ah- _forgiving, _individual."

"Lucky," Draco snorted, "_Right. _Don't give me that, Father. _You_ won't have to work under that Weasley girl for an indefinite amount of time. Something tells me she will be far less forgiving than her charming supervisor. Besides, this isn't even a _paid_ position. It's an _internship_."

"Money is not our concern, Draco," Lucius said pointedly in what Draco could only assume was supposed to be a dignified air, "Your goal should be to reestablish yourself in the Wizarding community- to redefine the Malfoy name."

"Draco dear," Narcissa handed the briefcase over to him with a heavy smile, "Just give this whole ordeal a go. Maybe you'll grow to enjoy it."

Draco took the briefcase grudgingly, wrinkling his nose before kissing his mother briefly on the cheek, "A non-paying job of mundane grunt work and under a Weasley to boot? I highly doubt it, Mother. But if this is what you and Father want..."

"It is," Narcissa said emphatically, "You wait Draco- this will benefit us all in the long run."

"I should hope so," Draco said bitterly, nodding a farewell to his father.

And with that, Draco disappeared with a _'crack'_.

* * *

><p>"Oh, you have <em>got<em> to be kidding me."

Ginny Weasley was just as irritable and feisty as Draco had remembered- if not more so. Her blazing hair was wound up in a tight knot at the top of her head that made her features seem much more sharp and severe.

"Nice to see you as well," Draco replied coolly, setting his briefcase down on the ground next to her desk before straightening and giving her a level stare.

"When Winters told me I'd be getting an intern, I expected an eager, eighteen year old fresh out of Hogwarts and ready to learn. You are none of those things, Malfoy," Weasley spat, "In fact, you wouldn't even be here if Harry hadn't shown up at your family's hearing and saved you all from Azkaban."

Draco's eyes narrowed instantly, "Don't talk about my family, Weasley. As I recall, you were not at that hearing and you have no right to talk about it as though you had witnessed it firsthand."

"Harry's my fiancé," Weasley huffed, "He _told_ me what happened."

"That," Draco said in a dangerously soft tone, "Does not give you the right to talk about my family."

Weasley was quiet for a moment before shrugging it off, "Whatever. Let me just make sure you know that if you do _one_ thing to piss me off, I'll dump you from this position so fast, your precious blond head will be spin right off your neck."

_There's an image_, Draco thought to himself, amused.

"Don't worry, Weasley," he said tersely, "I'll be good."

"Excellent," Weasley rolled her eyes, picking up a huge stack of parchment from her desk, "You can start by proofreading these. They need to be passed through Wizengamot in two days and if there's so much as _one_ flaw on any of them, you're getting the blame. Understood?"

The Weasley girl was _younger_ than him, for Merlin's sake, and ordering him around as if he was ten years old or something. This had to be an all-time low.

"Understood."

* * *

><p>Draco was falling asleep. His eyelids were heavy and unyielding and the quill in his hand was drooping. The Weasley girl had left the office for her lunch break about half an hour ago, and Draco would have left as well had it not been for the fact that his mother <em>packed <em>him a lunch in his briefcase (as if he was five years old and still attending daycare) and that he was only about one third of the way through his stack of parchment.

He was halfway through a particularly boring recount of a man from Essex who had stupidly decided that it would be a good idea to hold "magic shows" for Muggles. He crossed a certain line, however, when he had reduced a horse to the size of a spider and then back again, causing three women in his audience to faint. Idiot.

The office door swung open. Draco didn't have the patience or interest to look up until a female voice that did not belong to Weasley piped up.

"Well, well, well. Looks like you weren't lying, Gin. To what do we owe you the great pleasure, Malfoy?"

Draco turned his head slowly to face the door to find Weasley standing behind Granger, who's eyebrows have successfully shot up to her hairline in clear confusion. Or perhaps amusement.

"What do you mean?" Draco replied in a bored voice, "I'm working an internship under Weasley. And right now, I'm proofreading."

"I'm not stupid, Malfoy," Granger rolled her eyes, "I meant why are you working _here_? Clearly it's not for money. This is an internship position and I highly doubt your family needs the extra gold."

"Very astute," he snorted, "It's not like Malfoys just don't _work_. My father was a governor at the Ministry."

"Ahh," Weasley grinned, "And because Kingsley Shacklebolt would sooner jump off a flying thestral than hire you as a governor, you've resorted to starting at the bottom just like the rest of the world. Lesson learned, Malfoy?"

He could feel his anger boiling and he knew right away that if he snapped a response, his temper would have flown straight out the window at this point. Instead, he arched an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair, waiting for this one-sided conversation to take a turn for the better.

There was an awkward silence in the office while the two girls searched for words to say until Granger spoke up again, "Well I don't envy you, Ginny. I have to get back to work. But I hope he doesn't give you any trouble."

"You talk about me as though I'm a misbehaved dog," Draco commented casually.

"You certainly look like one," Granger bit back, "When's the last time you got yourself a haircut?"

"As much as I appreciate poorly-constructed hair insults," Draco snapped, "I have a lot of proofreading to do and I'd really rather not talk to either of you at the moment. So lovely to see you again Granger and I hope the door doesn't hit you on your way out."

Granger, looking particularly unaffected by his words, raised an eyebrow and waved to Weasley before exiting.

"Well that was rude," Weasley huffed.

"I've never been known for my unwavering hospitality."

"Still. If you want to succeed in wooing the rest of the Ministry and convincing everyone that you're just some misunderstood ex-Death Eater that really has good intentions, you'd do well in being respectful to others."

"I don't need a lesson in manners from you, Weasley."

"You do if you want to get anywhere after this internship!"

"How long am I working for you, anyway?" Draco asked exasperatedly.

"Six months is my guess," Weasley shrugged, "Winters suggested one full year so that you could scrape a better paying job afterward but there's no way in hell I'm keeping you around for an entire year."

"Charming," Draco snorted, turning back to his endless stack of parchment.

"You are aware that during this internship, you're going to have to make friends in the Ministry? Try to play nice, Malfoy, because people aren't going to want to hire you if you keep this up."

"I'm aware."

As Weasley settled back at her desk, Draco clenched his left fist, watching his knuckles grow white. He didn't do well in taking advice from others, especially advice that blatantly pointed out his flaws and shortcomings. He knew how important it was for the Malfoy name to gain the respect it never truly had in the Wizarding community, and he knew his parents were relying heavily on him to make it happen. Draco also knew, however, that he had an extremely short temper- though he liked to think that he had gotten better- and a cynical attitude to boot. Neither quality would help him in this endeavor and he did _not_ want Weasley to be the one to point it out.

* * *

><p>"Oh Lucius! Draco's home!"<p>

As Draco traipsed into the parlor, Narcissa stood up in a hurry, dropping her book on the armchair before fussing over his unkempt hair.

"Well? How was it?" Lucius asked immediately as he walked in, looking undeniably anxious.

"Horrendously boring," Draco shrugged, leaving his briefcase- now heavy with unread recounts- on the ground before collapsing on the futon, "I proofread recounts of idiots using magic in 'inappropriate situations' all day and that Weasley girl sure knows how to strike a nerve."

"Did you talk to the Minister at all?"

"No, Father. But don't worry- if I have the chance, I will be sure to be respectful and mature."

"I don't worry about your maturity, Draco. I worry that Shacklebolt will be quick to place judgment- especially since he played such a large role during the Battle at Hogwarts. I would not be surprised if the only thing he remembers about you is your sketchy history at Hogwarts and the choices you made as a Death Eater."

"So what are you saying?" Draco sighed, trying to ignore his mother's worried squeaks.

"That when you are with him, you need to place focus on the present, not the past. It would even be beneficial for you to talk about your plans for the future. Just so that he knows that you are not the man he thinks you are."

As Draco nodded slowly and his father left the room, he couldn't help but wonder if even he or his parents knew what kind of man he really was.


	2. Chapter 2

"Did you finish proofreading the documents?"

Draco's head snapped up to find Weasley pacing her office floor, a purse slung over her shoulder and a quill held tightly in her right hand. She looked impatient as always, her eyes flashing.

"Yes, I finished them at home," Draco pulled the parchments out of his briefcase and handed them carefully over to her, "You're welcome."

Weasley rolled her eyes and cradled the documents in the crook of her arm, "I have to bring this to Wizengamot. Would you like to come with me?"

Draco weighed his options. It would have been quite nice to escape Weasley's snarky comments for an extra twenty minutes. He had certainly had enough of them for today and it was barely lunch time. But then again, there would have been a good chance to happen upon Shacklebolt, who would bound to be nearby at the time. Draco knew for a fact that whenever Wizengamot was in session, Shacklebolt would show toward the end in order to hear a report from one of the undersecretaries.

"Sure," Draco finally agreed, straightening a little and nodding.

Appearing slightly taken aback, Weasley nodded curtly, "Right then, follow me." She swung open her office door and beckoned for him to follow.

"I know where the dungeons are," Draco muttered, annoyed, as she led the way.

"Oh, drop the attitude."

As they made their way down to the dungeons, Draco received a good deal of nasty looks from various Ministry workers who seemed all too keen to let him know how they felt without verbally causing a scene. To hell with them. If they had something important to say or any opinions they wanted to express, they should confront him about it. He did his best to keep a straight face as he and Weasley walked past the umpteenth disapproving glare.

Draco had seen his fair share of these glares. In fact, he had been steadily receiving them ever since the Battle of Hogwarts three years ago. He knew what people were thinking about him and he had grown a certain immunity to it. Although he couldn't pretend it didn't bother him when half the Ministry seemed to be sending him the same exact expression.

"They're all staring at you," Weasley murmured under her breath.

"I know," he snapped irritably, "Thanks for the reminder."

"I was just trying to point it out. I- Hello, Minister!"

And, just as Draco had hoped, Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared, looking as calm and put together as always. His dark eyes flickered a little when spotting him and Weasley, but he nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Weasley. Malfoy."

"Minister," Draco dipped his head and gave a shadow of a smile.

"How are you today?" Weasley asked brightly. Draco tried his best not to roll his eyes. If only she were that kind to him.

"Fine," Shacklebolt sighed, "An endless chain of meetings to go through today, but what else is new?"

"I know what you mean," she nodded fervently, "I have to deliver these to Wizengamot right away, so if you'll excuse us..."

"Actually, I'd like to chat with the Minister for a bit longer, if that's okay," Draco said softly.

Weasley gave him a confused look, staring at him in awkward silence for a moment but ultimately shrugged, "Not a problem. Meet me back in my office in half an hour."

As she whisked off, her shoes clacking against the floor, Draco turned to Shacklebolt with determination.

"Minister, I-"

"Did Lucius ask you to speak with me?" Shacklebolt asked slowly.

A little alarmed by the abruptness of Shacklebolt's question, Draco frowned, searching for new words that he had not originally planned out, "Not exactly," Draco responded, "I just wanted to properly greet you- and let you know that I began working for Ms. Weasley-"

"-Yes, I'm well aware," Shacklebolt peered at him with calculating eyes, "Arthur informed me earlier today."

"Well, I'm interested in a career in Magical Law Enforcement," Draco pressed on, "Perhaps as a part of the patrol. I realize that my family has had a... rocky past with the Ministry, but I wanted you to know that I am more than willing to pledge full allegiance to the Ministry of Magic. In fact-"

"Mr. Malfoy," Shacklebolt interrupted in his deep, rumbling voice, "I am not one to place judgment on your family history. If you are willing to put forth your greatest efforts and most positive attitude to work for the Ministry, then I shall harbor no complaints."

"I- thank you," Draco blinked, a little startled by Shacklebolt's blunt response, "Thank you. I promise I won't become a disappointment."

"You are quite welcome," he replied, "Now, I have an appointment with Ms. Skeeter, who has insisted that if I do not show up, I will be subject to a most horrifying story about my misdemeanors as the Minister of Magic."

"Right, well, thank you for your time."

"Not at all," Shacklebolt bowed his head before heading down the corridor without another word.

Draco always knew that Kingsley Shacklebolt had a reputation for being cool, level-headed, and impartial. That was probably what had landed him the Minister of Magic position in the first place, alongside with the fact that he was known to be an excellent Auror. Still, he had expected much worse; perhaps a cold comment about his family or their previous allegiances- but nothing of the sort. He supposed he should take it in stride and be grateful. With a shrug, Draco began walking to the elevator in order to head back to Weasley's office when a voice called out to him.

"Malfoy! _Malfoy_!"

It was Weasley, who was hurrying toward him with a disturbingly pleased smile plastered across her face, "I have some news."

He raised a skeptical brow; any news that was making Weasley _this_ happy couldn't be good for him, "What is it?"

"I bumped into Winters down by the dungeons and he said that my paid vacation request that I submitted months ago finally got approved."

"Which means?"

"Which means that Harry and I are taking a two week trip to Paris," Weasley squealed, clearly unable to contain her excitement.

"_What_? And what am I supposed to do, pray tell, while you're gone? Twiddle my thumbs and wait for you to come back?" Draco spluttered. His father would _not_ be pleased to learn that he would be wasting two weeks' worth of time while Weasley was out cavorting with Potter in _France._

"I'll find you someone else to work for while I'm gone," she waved her hand dismissively, "It's just temporary. What's the big deal?"

Draco folded his arms in doubt, but nodded in reluctant acceptance, earning a beaming smile from Weasley that made him feel sick to his stomach.

* * *

><p>As it turned out, Weasley's office door was not soundproof. Draco was waiting outside while Weasley and Granger talked in low- albeit audible- voices inside. And it was starting to make him uncomfortable, what with the incessant comments about how disliked he was by the entire Ministry.<p>

"What do you mean no one wants him?"

"I've asked half the department already but no one wants to have to deal with him. I think they all expect him to be a horrible git- which he kind of has been lately."

_Thanks a lot, Weasley, _Draco huffed internally.

"Well," Granger's voice sounded thoughtful, "Can you blame them? Rumors spread like wildfire after the Battle at Hogwarts and everyone knows the Malfoy family fought for Voldemort until they ended up fleeing the scene entirely. It doesn't make for a very good reputation."

"What am I supposed to do, Hermione?" Weasley wailed, "Harry and I have been meaning to take this vacation for _months_ and with the wedding coming up, we could really use the relaxation-"

"-Despite the fact that you're planning on going to Hawaii for the honeymoon afterward?"

"Icing on the cake," Weasley chuckled.

"There's not much you _can_ do," Granger sighed, "You could ask people from other departments?"

"I'd have even less luck with that. At least I have some sway with the people in our department, I- _hey_!"

"What?" Granger sounded alarmed.

"_You could do it_!"

"Do _what_?"

"Have Malfoy work for you!"

Wait, work for Granger? Weasley was joking, right? What did Granger even _do_ for a living? Not to mention the fact that she'd probably rather jump in a pool of spit than have him as an intern.

Granger clearly felt the same way, "_What_? Please be kidding, Gin. I have enough on my plate as it is-"

"-All the more reason to have him work for you! He could help you draft laws and run errands, it would just be for two weeks, Hermione! _Please_?"

"You just spent the past fifteen minutes complaining about how Malfoy's been nothing but an insufferable idiot-"

_Thanks again, Weasley_.

"-And now you want _me_ to take him under my wing? That was _horrible_ planning on your part, Ginny."

"C'mon, Hermione! You went skiing over Christmas vacation while I stayed at home with my awful brothers. Just do me this one favor, okay?"

Draco narrowed his eyes, unable to stand the indirect insults for much longer. He pushed open the door, instantly met with the two women turning abruptly to face him, both with slightly guilty looks across their faces. _And rightfully so_.

"As much as I appreciate listening to your ill-disguised conversation and being the object of burden between the two of you," Draco growled, "Wouldn't it make sense to just let me go for two weeks? I don't _have _to be working while Weasley's gone."

Weasley frowned a little, "I suppose you're right. I guess it wouldn't hurt-"

"Excellent," Draco cracked a triumphant smile, "Then just let me know when you and Potter are leaving and I'll be out of everyone's hair for two weeks."

"Wait."

Granger was staring at Draco with steady, calculating eyes. The gears in her head were clearly turning and t was starting to make him a little nervous.

"I could really use the extra help for the next two weeks," Granger said slowly, folding her arms across her chest, "If you don't mind, Malfoy."

_Wait, what_? Draco stared at Granger in disbelief. What could possibly be possessing her? Didn't she just say that he had been typecast as an 'insufferable idiot'? Why would she want to have him work for her now?

Weasley, just as confused, stammered, "I- yeah, if you want his help, then I'll run some paperwork by Winters so that Malfoy gets credit for working for you."

"Fantastic," Granger smiled serenely, straightening her robes, "And you're leaving in two days, Ginny?"

"Y-yeah," Weasley said, bewildered.

"Then I shall see you in two days, Malfoy."

And with that, Granger strode out of the office without so much as a second glance, leaving Draco very, very confused indeed.


End file.
